Telephone-switch.



Patented Sept. 16,1902.

No. 709,35l. y

- c. B. McPHERSGN.

V TELEPHONE SWITCH.

(Application filed Mai. 12, 1902. (No Model.)

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TELEPHONE-SWITCH.

SBEQIFICATION forming part of Letters ra tent N 0. 709,351, dated September 16, 1902. Application filed March 12,1902. Serial No. 97,911. (No model\) To all whom, itvntty concern:

Be it knownthat I, OoLUMBus B. MCPHER- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birminghamyi-n the county of Schuyler and State of Illinois, have inventedhcertain new. and useful Improvements in Telephone- Switches; and I do hereby declare the followfing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to telephoneswitches,

the object inview being to provide a switch or cut-out by means of which a telephone may be thrown out of the main circuit during a severe electrical storm for the purpose of preventing the wrecking or burning out of the instrument.

switch are sofcombined and arranged that j fzo theyfwill not interfere with other telephones The elements of the on the main line which may continue in operation, notwithstanding the fact that any particular telephonic instrument has been cut out of the main circuit.

. With the above object in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure lisa perspective View of a telephone-switch embodying the features of the, invention. spective view of a modified form of the switch.

Fig.2 is a ,per-

The improved switchcomprises a bracket 1, forming the support for the members of :the switch, said bracket comprising, essen tially, 'a vertical member 1 and across-head or tophorizontal member 2, suitably fastened 4 M l of which the bracket maybe secured to a barn, or. other building.

together, forming a T-shaped bracket provided withopenings 3 for the reception of spikes or other" suitable fasteners by means ole standard or the. exterior of a house .2 7 7 In carrying out the present invention a switchlever t is provided, which is substanof the lever in electrical contact with one of leveris fulcrumed on a journal-post 5 and held in place by washers 5*, the post 5 constituting one of the binding-posts of the device. The lever at its opposite end is bent into theform of a loop or eye 6 and is adapted to bear against a lever rest or contact 7, preferably in the form of a flat strip of metal having one end bent at an angle to form a limiting shoulder or stop 8, while the opposite end is deflected inward to form a bevel surface 9, against which the free end of the switch-lever may ride while bringing the same into engagement with the stop-shoulder 8. The lever-rest 7 is mounted upon the extremity of a binding-post 10, projecting outwardly from one end of the cross-head 2.

At or near the lower end of the upright 1 is arranged a third binding-post 11, which receives and has electrically connected therewith a ground-wire 12, bywhich the current is carried to the ground. Adjacent to the binding-post 11 is a post 13, projecting from to the binding-post 10. By rockingthe switch,-

the bracket and hearing at its free end a lever-rest l t, similar in all-respects to the rest 7,

lever on the journal-post 5 as a center and bringing said lever into engagement with the rest 7the telephone is placed in circuit.

During the progress of asevere electrical storm the switch-lever t is. oscillated so as to. move the free end thereof out of engagementwith the rest 7 and into engagement with the other rest 14. This has the effect of cutting out the telephone from the circuit,

so that it will not be affected by an excessive currentpassing along the main-line wircs,the current passing from the main line through the wire 15 and switch 4 to the binding-post 13, from which it jumps to the adjacent post 11, and from the latter it is carried to the ground by means of the wire 12.

Theform of the device shown by Fig. 2is

similar in the main to that shown by Fig. 1 and has like numerals applied thereto. The difference in constructionin the device shown by Fig. 2 is that the fulcrumed end of the, l

IOO

lever 4 is bent at an angle to form a fulcrumpost 17, which is rotatably mounted in the member 2.

In the form of the device shown by Fig. 1 the rests 7 and 14 are provided with outstanding beveled retaining-ribs 17, having inner abrupt ends 18, forming shoulders against which one edge of the switch-lever 4 is adapted to bear to prevent accidental displacement,

Theseribs will also be applied secured upon said bracket adjacent to one of said binding-posts and having a curved bearing-face and a stop.

2. The combination with a bracket having aplurality of binding-posts secured thereto,

of a semicircular spring switch-lever having one of its ends bent at an angle to be inserted in said bracket to form a combined bindingthe form of the device shown by post and journal, and a lever-rest secured upon said bracket adjacent to one of said binding-posts, and having a curved bearingface having one of its ends bent to form a stop.

3. The combination with a bracket, of a bindingpost mounted upon the upper end thereof, a curved bearing-surface secured to said binding-post and having one of its ends bent to form a stop, a spring switch-lever having one of its ends bent at an angleand inserted in the bracket to form a combined bindin g-post andjournal, a third binding-post secured tothe lower end of the bracket, electric connections secured to said binding-post, and a lever-rest secured upon said bracket.

4. The combination of a, brackethaving a plurality of binding-posts secured thereto,

lever-rests contiguous to the posts ,and provided with shouldered retaining-ribs, anda lever movable over the bracket.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 

